Microsoft announced the lineup for its February Games with Gold line-up on Wednesday starting with the Xbox One game, Styx: Master of Shadows. For those new to Games with Gold, Microsoft does things a little differently than Sony does, in that instead of offering all its free games at one time, it staggers them, with one game being offered for one portion of the month and another game being offered over another portion of the month.

According to Major Nelson, Styx: Master of Shadows will be going live on the deal service from February 16 until March 15. Likely the biggest and most well known title will be offered on February 16 in Gears of War 2 for the Xbox 360.

That is of course, the only game being offered that could ever really be called a AAA title. The good news is that Gears of War 2 is backwards compatible. Unfortunately, Styx: Master of Shadows has largely been met with rather poor reviews. It appears the developers still want to get the game out there, since the sequel, Styx: Shards of Darkness is due to release later this year.

Styx: Master of Shadows is a prequel to 2012’s Of Orcs and Men. For this release, Cyanide Studios departs from the action RPG to produce a traditional stealth game, one that sweeps together all the clandestine conventions of past success. This collaboration offers no surprises, and ultimately fails to argue a purchase. It is too familiar, too often.

Styx is not terribly fun to play. There are many things responsible for it’s deflation, but the macro fact is that there is no great reason to play it. For every unoriginal design there are five buggy visual interruptions. For every five bugs there are ten frustrating checkpoint resets. Other facets like sound design, and narrative are there, but neither are remarkable.

"It is too familiar, too often."

You take on the role of Styx, a goblin who’s equal parts sneaky, and snarky. You guide his plunder of the Tower of Akenash, a massive structure housing unionized humans, and elves who guard a magic tree, and its coveted sap of Amber. The politicized possession of the sap, and glares of goblin bigotry don’t hide the by-the-numbers fantasy stage. Somewhere between the Dungeon Master’s Guide and the Monster Manual, Styx checks every otherworldly box to unflattering effect.

The low production cut scenes and occasionally forced dialogue do little to engage its audience, and the villainized defendants of the Amber hardly seem worth butchering. The attempt at making Styx an anti-hero falls into the question of who the real enemy is. Between his angsty f-bombs, fart jokes, and constant widow making, Styx feels like a real jerk, one who repels cheerleading.

With a well-visited fantasy world, one would hope the gameplay might land on new shores. It doesn’t do this, and underperforms on genre contrivances. Excluding the unpredictable AI, the main enemy here is the light. Our goblin friend can snuff torches by hand, or toss wet sand to extinguish at a distance. As long as you are standing in darkness, you are free to assassinate your adversaries with a noisy quick kill or elongated quiet kill. Heard this one before? How about ‘Hold to pick lock,” or “Press to look through keyhole”?

"The macro fact is that there is no great reason to play it"

You have played this game already. At some point in your gaming career you have played and enjoyed an element of Styx in a different (likely more entertaining) title. The inclusion of platform elements is welcome, but feels underutilized and derivative. These familiar tropes are tossed into big environments that ask the player to cut their own route to the next objective. This can be fun occasionally, but often times it felt that there was one clear path for success and the rest was peripheral or outright divergent. While the environments mock vastness, the same cannot be said about the gameplay toolkit. An upgrade system allows you to slot points into different categories, but you will spend most of your time killing the lights, and slitting throats. The ability to clone yourself proves useful when required, but is unhelpful beyond a brief area scouting.

Maybe it is okay that Styx lacks an infinite holster of death, because his AI counterparts are slack-jawed quitters. When one of them catches the scent of danger they do everything in their power to stop the threat, e.g. they leisurely pace toward the clue, gawk, and turn 180-degrees and return to thinking deeply in a fixed position. The more athletic guards will strut highly telegraphed patrols that you can comprehend in a matter of moments. The difficulty spawns mostly from the player getting too cocky and discrediting the bloodthirsty AI.

"You will spend most of your time killing the lights, and slitting throats"

You will die, though, and often. If you are spotted, you can almost bet on your demise. Coming into range of an assailant will lock you mono e mono, your only saving grace being a well-timed parry. In these situations, Styx can only target one enemy while the rest are free to prod you with blades and release their bolts. If you escape, well, you’ll likely get shot in the back. Escapism is so commonly ineffective that you might wonder why you don’t immediately restart after being spotted.

For all its frustration, the game can be fun. Some of the upgraded abilities trigger satisfying results, and throwing your lifeless victims over the edge is worth a giggle. These strides don’t last very long, and quickly become marred by repetitive level design, and airhead AI. The game is not short, but the overall quality won’t compel anyone to the credits, or feel like their money was well spent. All told, Styx: Master of Shadows is a pickpocket.

This game was reviewed on the PC.

Editors note: Due to technical difficulties on the site this review has been published under Philip Hartmeyer’s byline. In actuality, Eli Kineg wrote this review and deserves whatever credit is due. You can follow Eli on Twitter at @NAPK1NS

We spoke to Cyanide’s marketing project manager Camille Lisoir about the game along with how the level design and stealth aspects work out. What kind of skill trees can we look forward to and what about the enemy AI, an essential part of every stealth game out there? Let’s find out.

Rashid K. Sayed: To begin with can you please tell us a bit about yourself and the company you work for?

Camille Lisoir: Cyanide started up in 2000 as an independent video game studio based in Paris. The studio was started by seven Ubisoft employees who left to follow their dream of making a sport management simulation set in the world of professional cycling. More than 14 years later, Pro Cycling Manager regularly tops the PC sales charts with Tour de France now on consoles, the founders’ initial hunch has more than proved itself.

Behind the sport-management façade, there is a collection of hard-core gamers and fantasy fans, borne out by games such as Blood Bowl, Game of Thrones, Of Orcs and Men and the recent Aarklash: Legacy. These titles offer a rich pool of characters drawn from a wide variety of game universes.

"The levels are not too big or too small and comparable to those in the other games. What is important is how they are constructed - and this is what makes the game so original."

Rashid K. Sayed: For our readers who are unaware about the plot, how does the events of Styx Master of Shadows tie into Of Orcs and Men?

Camille Lisoir: Styx: Master of Shadows is a prequel to Of Orcs and Men. You play as Styx, the goblin master assassin and one of the two heroes of OoAM. In Master of Shadows, you’ll learn more about his personal history and motivations.

He wants to steal the heart of the World Tree, the source of the amber, immense power and fabulous riches, but the goal will also reveal his history. To reach this objective, he’ll have to cross the immense Tower of Akenash, protected by many of his enemies, including humans, elves, orcs and more…

Rashid K. Sayed: One of the intriguing aspects of the game is the level design. Unlike other stealth games, the player is put in these wide open spaces. Although it is not as wide as what we are going to see Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. How do you strike the balance in keeping stealth mechanics intact and at the same time keeping the levels wide and open?

Camille Lisoir: The levels are not too big or too small and comparable to those in the other games. What is important is how they are constructed – and this is what makes the game so original. You have many possibilities and there are many different roads you can take to reach your objectives. Some missions have multiple objectives which can be completed in the order that you wish; thus letting the player choose his own path on the map.

Rashid K. Sayed: The game has seven skill trees with each of them having abilities. Can you tell us a bit about them?

Camille Lisoir: Each skill tree is a specific talent of Styx, as well as agility, amber, or assassination, for example. You can develop theses talents and improve on them. For example, concerning cloning, you can give your clone some diversion skills or even offensive abilities.

Rashid K. Sayed: I have seen gameplay footage and I have some concerns about the enemy AI. Like when objects drops, the enemy just gets attentive and makes no effort to check it out. Is this going to be something that you guys are going to work on?

Camille Lisoir: We have worked hard to make the AI as realistic and reactive as possible. The AI reacts to a lot of details, such as movement, past events, or even sounds. If you drop an object on the floor by mistake, the sound will help your enemies to spot you. If your enemy sees you hiding somewhere, you won’t be able to stay there for long!

"You’ll progress step by step in the Tower of Akenash discovering many places like high-quarters of the tower (embassy, library, airship docks, etc.), the military area (prison, laboratories, etc.) or the bowels (sewers)."

Rashid K. Sayed: Are you going to provide any other weapons other than the one Styx already have?

Camille Lisoir: Styx has his daggers but his other and best weapons are in his mind! As our hero is a small goblin, he has to be clever rather than rely on combat skills. He uses the environment to his advantage.

Rashid K. Sayed: Roughly speaking, how many hours of gameplay are we looking at here?

Camille Lisoir: It depends on how you like to play – whether you like to race to the finish or take your time. On average, it should be around 15 hours of gameplay to complete. There is scope for replayability. For example, you could repeat maps in order to complete different challenges, such as getting through without killing anyone, or finishing a mission as fast as possible. You can also search for collectible objects to complete your collection!

Rashid K. Sayed: Is the game going to broken down into a bunch of episodes or will they take place across different locations separated by load times?

Camille Lisoir: You’ll progress step by step in the Tower of Akenash discovering many places like high-quarters of the tower (embassy, library, airship docks, etc.), the military area (prison, laboratories, etc.) or the bowels (sewers). We did everything possible to make the transitions fluid.

Rashid K. Sayed: Are you using the June SDK update for the Xbox One to boost the resolution to 1080p?

Camille Lisoir: Yes sure!

Rashid K. Sayed: Is it safe to assume that the PS4 version will run at 1080p and 60fps? If not, is there a specific reason why you guys are not aiming for 60fps?

Camille Lisoir: We are working on that matter to get the better fps rate as possible and to optimise it. At the moment, we’re quite confident about the result.

"We choose to focus on the future as we couldn’t develop the game on all platforms. And the current gen displays the vista in a much better way, which creates a beautiful and deep environment for the game."

Rashid K. Sayed: Did you face any issue while developing the Xbox One version, specifically the Xbox One version?

Camille Lisoir: No, on the contrary, we found it easier than with the last gen. The PS4 and Xbox One are more similar to each other in terms of development process, and the developers are very happy with that.

Rashid K. Sayed: Styx Master of Shadows is a current gen exclusive title. What kind of benefits has this given the development team to unleash their creativity? Furthermore, what was the reason of not bringing the game to last gen i.e. PS3 and Xbox 360?

Camille Lisoir: It is a choice, both strategically and technologically. We choose to focus on the future as we couldn’t develop the game on all platforms. And the current gen displays the vista in a much better way, which creates a beautiful and deep environment for the game.

Rashid K. Sayed: What are your thoughts on the 8GB of RAM in the new consoles? Do you think they will be sufficient to last an entire generation?

Camille Lisoir: Yes I think it will be sufficient. We already have some room for manoeuvre.

Rashid K. Sayed: With the advent of the new consoles, Styx Master of Shadows is still being developer on Unreal Engine 3. Is there a specific reason why you guys did not move over to Unreal Engine 4?

Camille Lisoir: When we started to develop Styx: Master of Shadows, the Unreal Engine 4 was in its early days. We had so much experience working with the Unreal Engine 3 , it was natural for us to work on this engine. Today we are very satisfied with the result!

Rashid K. Sayed: Is there anything else you want to tell our readers before we take off?

Camille Lisoir: With Styx Master of Shadows, we wanted to return to the roots of stealth genre and offer you a complete and pleasant challenge. We put together all the ingredients for a great adventure and we hope you’ll like it!

The upcoming Styx: Master of Shadows looks to be great, on multiple levels. Its premise, and its gameplay, promising some well done stealth gameplay done right, promise a lot, but the game also appears to be gleefully aware of the gaming industry as it is today, and it seems to be tongue in cheek about it. So, for example, consider this newest trailer for it, highlighting the gameplay- it’s called Assassin’s Green, and it’s not even the first such obvious reference to a series of games that have served as inspiration for it to some degree. There was already another ‘Assassin’s Green’ trailer for Styx before this one.

This video shows us Styx’s dynamism and flow, showing us how all the various facets of Styx’s skillset all come together to make him the ultimate master of stealth- something that should help him in his ascent of the Tower of Akenash.

Styx launches on Xbox One, PS4, and PC on October 7 digitally.

The newest trailer of Styx: Master of Shadows decides to show us exactly what happens when Styx doesn’t stick to the shadows, and instead gets out in the open to be caught. While he can use a plethora of skills to escape and distract his quarries, they all use too much energy which could soon run out and leave him cornered. And while he could always try to fight his way out, that could soon see him attracting a whole lot of attention, which in turn would mean…

Yeah, it would mean Styx dying. And the game seems to take a lot of gleeful pleasure from Styx’s death, if this trailer is anything to go by, judging by the sheer number of times he dies, and the inventiveness of each of those deaths. I mean, damn. It’s like the developers hated the guts of this guy or something.

If you are a purist, you can even play the game in Goblin Mode, which gives you no chance to escape once detected, but leads straight to your death.

Styx: Master of Shadows will release on Xbox One, PS4, and PC this October as a downloadable game.

In the newest gameplay video for Styx: Master of Shadows, the brand new stealth focused dark fantasy game which focuses on skill, timing, reflexes, and a keen eye for detail, we see the eponymous goblin Styx and his absolute mastery of the skill of distraction, as he calls upon a regurgitated clone to attract attention away from himself as he continues to skulk in the Tower of Akenash.

This sort of emphasis on distraction and stealth is vaguely reminiscent of the kinds of powers that Batman has and can (and often does) use- but it’s only one of four such ‘base powers’ at Styx’s disposal, and these powers come with seven skill trees, adding a staggering amount of depth and nuance to the gameplay and ensuring that no two players will ever approach the game similarly.

Styx: Master of Shadows is out this October on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC as a downloadable title. Stay tuned.

Styx: Master of Shadows is an upcoming stealth infiltration game from Cyanide Studios, one that features a unique verticality that is ample throughout the gallows, alleys, courtyards and winding halls within the Tower of Akenash. You know what other game that sounds like? it sounds like Assassin’s Creed, or well, what Assassin’s Creed was originally meant to be (and even was with the original game), before it kind of veered off course and became the generic catch all brand name for big historical Ubisoft sandboxes.

Anyway, this new trailer shows off the kind of gameplay that we can expect from Styx: Master of Shadows, which blends stealth and verticality, as you can push people off ledges, and use the verticality along with your own athleticism to not get spotted and caught.

Styx: Master of Shadows launches as a downloadable game in October for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Stay tuned for more coverage.

The game, which will be running on Unreal Engine 3, is currently set to launch on Microsoft Windows PC’s as well as the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It will be available at retail and via digital download at some time in 2014.

• 1. Development
• 2. Story
• 3. Gameplay
• 2. Characters

Development

While there is a Dev Blog for the gane, it includes less information regarding development and more information covered elsewhere in this Wiki.

Story

Styx: Master of Shadows takes place in the same video game universe as Of Orcs and Men, a fantasy action role playing game that was also developed by Cyanide (alongside Spiders, another French developer) and published by Focus Home Interactive in 2012. The games main plot is set a long before anything that transpires in Of Orcs and Men.

Styx (not to be confused with the river) is the first of the Goblins. Styx aims to steal the heart of an ancient World Tree that is currently housed inside the Tower of Akenash. This is all a coming of ages styled story that helps Styx gain more insight into his own origin story.

Being the first born Goblin, he has all the traits that his kin are famous for, however, having not had his skills dulled by genetic degradation, he can quite simply be called a master of his craft. Be that, stealth in the darkest shadows, the theft of the highest prize or the murder of the most famous nobles. Thus, Styx intends to scale the towers innards and discover more about himself, while gathering more than a pretty penny of course.

Gameplay

Being a Goblin, Styx is born with an innate ability to make use of stealth techniques, even going so far as to become invisible at times (as seen in Of Orcs and Men). This ability helps keep Styx alive as most races and creatures would sooner see a Goblin dead than alive.

The enemy AI is understandably one of the biggest threats in the game. Enemy soldiers and guards switch their activity and behaviour dynamically to reflect your actions in the game. But if you arrange an “accident” that happens to leave a guard incapacitated, you won’t be suspected.

Staying quiet and not being seen will keep guard activity to a minimum but will of course prove rather difficult. But if that’s not really your style you can also break out your murder skills. Your murdering prowess only has room to grow of course and with 6 skill trees to unlock, each with its own special abilities, skills, tricks and techniques, Styx is quite the capable Goblin indeed.

Keeping to the shadows is of course essential to your survival but to aid you in this, Styx has access to a number of abilities. These arcane powers are similar to those found in Of Orcs and men and can help Styx survive and navigate a little easier.

As well as invisibility, Styx has access to amber vision, an ability that lets him detect and locate hidden enemies and locations in his immediate area. One of his more impressive gifts is the ability to clone himself, opening up entire new strategies for gamepaly. Scouts, decoys, distractions, the list goes on.

Characters

Thus far we’ve only been introduced to the games lead character, Styx the Goblin. Whether or not the roster will expand remains to be seen.

Note: This wiki will be updated once we have more information about the game.

Styx Master of Shadows is a current gen exclusive title which means it will most likely take full advantage of the processing power that the new consoles offer. Continuing our coverage of the game, GamingBolt asked Cyanide Studios about their thoughts on the 8GB of RAM in the new consoles and whether they think it will be sufficient to last an entire generation.

Cyanide Studios believes that the amount of RAM should be sufficient. “Yes I think it will be sufficient. We already have some room for manoeuvre,” he said. And whether they faced any issue while developing on the Xbox One version, they said, “No, on the contrary, we found it easier than with the last gen. The PS4 and Xbox One are more similar to each other in terms of development process, and the developers are very happy with that.”

Styx Master of Shadows is due sometime this year for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Cyanide Studios are using the June SDK update for the Xbox One to improve the resolution of the Xbox One version to 1080p. The SDK update has been used by other games in the past for titles like Destiny able to run at 1080p on the Xbox One. Several other games like Witcher 3 and Sunset Overdrive are also using it improve effects and other graphical effects.

Speaking to Cyanide Studios, GamingBolt asked whether they are you using the June SDK update for the Xbox One to boost the resolution to 1080p? The reply was an enthusiastic, “Yes sure!”

However, there is no word on whether they will be able to achieve 60 frames per second. “We are working on that matter to get the better fps rate as possible and to optimise it. At the moment, we’re quite confident about the result.”

Styx Master of Shadows is due later this year and will release on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. For more on the game check out the gameplay video.